Lantern-jawed crime fighter Eliot Spitzer is running so far ahead of Gov. Pataki in the polls that many political experts assume he’s all but locked up the 2006 governor’s race.
But what does Spitzer stand for?
In an exclusive interview with The Post, the crusading attorney general -who has yet to campaign for the election that’s nearly two years away -detailed his views on a variety of issues, revealing a mix of conservative and liberal thinking.
A main concern, he said, is cleaning up a political system plagued by cronyism in which all the important decisions are made by just three men: the governor, the Assembly speaker and the Senate majority leader.
“The assumption that Albany is broken is absolutely correct – and we need to fix that,” said Spitzer, 45. “If we don’t reform the trilateral arrangement, we will have failed New York state.”
Spitzer, a fraud-busting dynamo who’s taken on Wall Street and the insurance and pharmaceutical industries, led Pataki by 12 points in a Quinnipiac University poll in December after the two were tied in September.
But he has more than soaring poll numbers to propel him.
Spitzer’s way has been cleared by Sen. Charles Schumer’s decision to head the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and expectations that Pataki, who’s suffering from the lowest approval ratings in his 10 years in office, will not run again so he can pursue national aspirations.
“As of today, there is no Republican challenger of note, and it appears there will be no Democratic primary, which makes it a walk-in,” said political consultant Hank Sheinkopf, who handled ads for Spitzer’s campaign in 1998.
“Spitzer is uniquely positioned to be the winner of the least-costly gubernatorial election in recent New York history.”
Top 10 issues Spitzer faces
Death penalty
He supports it but only for terrorists and those who kill cops or commit “egregious acts of premeditated murder,” such as serial killing.
“It’s a remedy that should be used sparingly,” said Spitzer.
Gay marriage
Says same-sex couples should be allowed to marry and supports legislation to give them that right – even though as attorney general, he’s defending the state in several suits challenging the current law’s constitutionality.
Soaring auto-insurance rates
Saying fraud is a major contributor, he wants a new law to encourage whistleblowing on insurance scams and boost jail time for perpetrators.
“We’ve been extremely successful in prosecuting auto fraud,” said Spitzer, pointing to 134 convictions. “But we haven’t seen enough of a drop in premiums based on the success of the prosecutions.”
Government reform
Wants broad reform in agencies, lobbying, procurement, campaign finance and ethics. Highlighted the selection of judges and judges’ undisclosed financial interests as areas that need “significant attention.”
“We need reform across the board to ensure transparency,” he said.
Gambling
Is for expanding casino gambling beyond just Indian reservations as a way to boost the state’s economy, but wants to limit legalization to western New York and the Catskills, as the governor has proposed – for now.
“We’re surrounded by it,” he said of the proliferation of casinos in Canada, New Jersey and Connecticut.
Education
Wants a big increase in state spending on education and will push for higher “academic standards.” Also wants students to graduate with specific job skills. Does not support vouchers for private schools.
Taxes
Wants the state to push for tax cuts at the local level and will seek an overall reduction in state taxes. But he did not discuss specifics on income taxes, city sales taxes or the soon-to-expire surcharge on the wealthiest New Yorkers.
Said development – not tax increases – was the solution to the state’s sluggish economy. “We cannot tax our way out of these problems,” he said.
Tort reform
Wants to reduce frivolous lawsuits but is against capping awards in cases of “actual harm.”
West Side stadium
Has no firm views on the proposal but applauded the MTA for opening the stadium site to bidding.
“There should be an auction,” he said.
Also strongly supports the city’s bid for the Olympics and favors the construction of a stadium and other facilities to host the event.
Health care
Has gone after pharmaceutical companies for hiding bad test results on drugs and wants more “transparency” on the issue. Is strongly in favor of a managed-care bill of rights.
Is deeply concerned about the state’s runaway Medicaid spending.